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Obama Highlights Health Care Reform Progress In Weekly Address
In his weekly radio and Internet address, President Obama discussed efforts by congressional leaders and health care industry groups on health care reform legislation, The Hill reports. He said that "while there remains a great deal of difficult work ahead, I am heartened by what we have seen these past few days: a willingness of those with different points of view and disparate interests to come together around common goals -- to embrace a shared sense of responsibility and make historic progress" (Youngman, The Hill, 5/16). He said, "I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk, that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it," which has "been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change."In the Republican radio and Internet address. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), a cardiovascular surgeon, said that a "government takeover of health care will put bureaucrats in charge of health care decisions that should be made by families and doctors." He added, "It will limit treatment options and lead to rationed care," and "to pay for government health care, your taxes will be raised." Boustany, a member of the House Republican Health Care Solutions Group, said, "That is something we cannot support, and frankly, it would clearly violate some of the principles the president himself has endorsed" (Superville, AP/Washington Post, 5/16). In related news, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag on Sunday said on CNN"s "State of the Union" that the administration might support taxing health care benefits to health pay for health care reform (Barr, Politico, 5/17). Timeline

Innovative Treatment Approach Offers New Hope For Eczema Sufferers With Moderate To Severe Disease
The British Association of Dermatology annual meeting sees the launch of the first topical calcineurin inhibitor to be approved for the maintenance treatment of moderate to severe atopic eczema to prevent flares and prolong flare-free intervals. PROTOPIC ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) is already licensed to treat moderate and severe eczema (atopic dermatitis), often involving the treatment of flares as and when they occur.* It is now also approved for twice-weekly application to previously affected skin to prevent these exacerbations and prolong flare-free periods in PROTOPIC-responsive patients. Clinical studies have shown that this new approach brings significant benefits with over 40% of patients with moderate to severe eczema remaining flare-free for at least a year.1 Flares are known to place an enormous burden on patients. The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) found that about 55% of these patients worried about the onset of their next exacerbation and that they spent on average over a third of the year (136 days) with their eczema in flare.2
News of the day
HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association Supports Achievable 'Meaningful Use' Criteria In Comments To ONC
The Electronic Health Records Association (EHR Association) has made specific recommendations to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on measurable criteria for achieving "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs), as called for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Association specifically calls for 2011 objectives to be based on software and standards that are currently deployed and implemented, with a focus on adoption and use of comprehensive EHRs and recognition of the need for differences between inpatient and ambulatory meaningful use criteria.
Sexual Health

Dystonia: Isolated Through Ignorance

A survey among Britain"s 40,000 sufferers from dystonia - a serious neurological movement disorder causing painful muscle spasms - has shown a widespread ignorance about their condition among healthcare professionals and a lack of understanding amongst the public. The Dystonia Society has revealed that 74% of members who responded were either "very worried" or "concerned" by the lack of awareness amongst medics. "The next area of concern among our members (64%) was an alarming lack of understanding shown by the general public," said Philip Eckstein, Chief Executive of the Dystonia Society. "It"s is shocking that a condition that affects so many people can be so little understood and poorly recognised by healthcare professionals on the frontline. This combined with the lack of understanding amongst the public only exacerbates the pain and difficulties of living with dystonia. People are left to struggle for years, often without even a diagnosis. And when it has been diagnosed, they can rarely find a medical professional who is well-informed about the condition. As for treatment - which consists of injections of botulinum toxin to counter painful muscle spasms - it is patchy across the whole country." Labour MP and former Minister for Disabled People, the Rt Hon Anne McGuire, has today agreed to table an adjournment debate in Parliament as a matter of urgency in order to seek a response from the Department of Health as to how this movement disorder can be better addressed by the medical service, especially in the "front line service" of primary care. Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, a patron of the Dystonia Society, said: "It is gratifying to see that awareness amongst general medical professionals has clearly grown significantly over the past decade. However for those suffering spasms of pain due to their dystonia, any delay in diagnosis and treatment is an ordeal. Members of the Society will be very heartened to know that the prospect of an Adjournment Debate and new engagement with the heath providers will improve the position for the 40,000 with dystonia". Dr Tom Warner, Royal Free Hospital and Medical Adviser to the Dystonia Society, said: "Dystonia is a common neurological movement disorder and yet it is often unrecognised by healthcare professionals as well as the general public. The involuntary muscle spasms can be very debilitating, painful as well as embarrassing and stigmatising. For these reasons it can have a very negative effect on the quality of life of an individual. In one recent study of people with dystonia, the deleterious effect on quality of life was found to be as severe as that seen in people with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson"s disease". Although there is no cure for dystonia, many dystonic conditions can be successfully managed with the right treatment. Botulinum toxin injections, commonly known as BOTOX(R) or Dysport(R), provide an effective treatment in 75% cases of focal dystonia. Anyone requiring further information on this condition should contact the Dystonia Society Helpline Support Service on 0845-458-6322 or website http://www.dystonia.org.uk About Dystonia Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterised by involuntary and sustained muscle spasms. It is estimated that there are up to 40,000 people in the UK affected by the condition. There are two main types of dystonia: "generalised dystonia" which affects many parts of the body including the legs, torso and head, and "focal" dystonias that affects only one part of the body. Common focal dystonia"s include the neck (cervical dystonia), eyes (blepharospasm or chronic blinking), hands (writer"s cramp), among others. Dystonia can affect people of all ages, although focal dystonias tend to onset in middle age. The Dystonia Society


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